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2005 Events
May 2005 Press Release
Classical Music Festival in Cortland
A Classical Music Festival will be hosted by The Blue Frog Coffeehouse: on the corner of Main and Court Streets in Cortland on Sunday May 22nd from 12-4PM. There is no admission fee (although listeners are encouraged to buy a cup of coffee, tea, or other beverage). Festival musicians will offer a wide variety of music from the Renaissance to jazz classics, from Handel to Astor Piazzolla.
This past February, The Blue Frog hosted a similar event that produced an overwhelming response, both from musicians and listeners. The intimate space of the coffeehouse was filled with music and a capacity crowd for the entire afternoon. The musicians came from a wide range of backgrounds: students, teachers, amateurs, music professionals and college professors. Many of the same musicians will be returning for the May 22nd event, along with a number of new faces.
The piano trio "Random Acts of Music" will be returning, with Lois Pfister (violin), Jim Weiss (cello) and Marina Gorelaya (piano). They will be playing Haydn and Mozart Trios. Emmanuel Sikora, an 8th grader in Cortland, will be performing more of his original piano compositions. Sikora is also anticipating the performance of his "Fantasy on 19th Century Themes" for piano and orchestra in Mexico, NY on June 18th. Tim Myers will be playing more of his favorite Jazz Classics on the piano. Myers has studied piano with Roland Cosner, with Molly McMillan in Ithaca and is a regular performer at the Blue Frog's "Classical Open Mike" on Sunday afternoons.
Gina Sikora (soprano) and Stephen Wilson (piano), professors at Cortland State, will be participating again in the festival. They are having a busy month. Besides the usual end of semester rush of grading final exams, etc. they are involved in a Zarzuela (Spanish Operetta) in NYC on the May 7, the concert "Tango: The Soul of Argentina" at the Homer Center for the Arts on May 14th, and of course, a return to The Blue Frog on May 22nd. Music for the festival will probably be drawn from the tangos of Gardel and Piazzolla, as well as music of the Zarzuella Luisa Fernanda.
Among the newcomers will be vocal students from Cortland High School, under the leadership of Marion Giambattista (and friends). They plan to perform both ensemble and solo vocal music, including a quartet by Buxtehude. Skye Wilson will be joined by Emmanuel Sikora (both in the 8th grade at Cortland) in singing the Papageno duet from Mozart's The Magic Flute. Dave Richman, a classical guitarist from Ithaca, will be playing the music of Bach, Ponce, and Barrios. Joel Shatzky (piano) and Mecke Nagel (flute), professors in the Departments of English and Philosophy at Cortland State, will be performing some Handel sonatas.
The Classical Music Festival is an opportunity for musicians and listeners alike to enjoy great music in a relaxed setting. You can stop by for a few minutes, or stay all afternoon. Bring a friend, bring a book, or just enjoy the music. If you want more information about the May 22nd Classical Music Festival or the weekly Classical Open Mike program, contact Karina Murphy at The Blue Frog Coffeehouse (607) 758-7989, Email John Sikora at jps13@cornell.edu , or check the events calendar on the Blue Frog's website at: www.bluefrogcoffeehouse.com
John Sikora